Asylum

Why do people seek asylum?

An asylum seeker is a person who fled their home country, formally asked the authorities in another country to recognise them as a refugee and is awaiting a decision on their claim.

30,747 people claimed asylum in the UK in 2016. The largest number of applicants came from Iran (4,184), Pakistan (2,870), Iraq (2,672) and Afghanistan (2,329). In the same year, 66% of applications were refused at initial decision.

Circumstances force many vulnerable people to flee their country in search of safety. Migrant Help works to ensure that those who arrive in the UK receive the support and advice they need. Asylum seekers are often amongst the most vulnerable in our society and our services offer information and guidance to help them navigate through the asylum process.

We believe everyone deserves to feel safe and have their human rights protected.

Migrant Help has recently been awarded the AIRE (Advice, Issue Reporting and Eligibility) contract to support asylum seekers in the UK. The new enhanced service will be gradually rolled out over the upcoming months and be fully operational by the end of August.
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